


smoke and fire go hand in hand like steam and burning water

by nyanunix



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bending (Avatar), F/M, Fire Nation Royal Family, Friends to Lovers, No Smut, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Work In Progress, Young Love, i am so bad at tags please be nice to me, takes place before ALTA and replaces the events of the series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2020-09-01 04:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20252257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyanunix/pseuds/nyanunix
Summary: When Katara's father accepts an agreement from the Fire Nation, she doesn't realize that the main terms of the arrangement involve that she will have to go overseas to marry the Fire Nation's formerly-banished prince. When Zuko's father tells him that this is the reason he's been allowed to return home, he knows something is wrong.





	1. Chapter 1 (prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> this is kinda a prologue to explain why they're getting married/etc but ngl this isn't going to have a huge impact on the actual plot of the fic. expect primarily slice of life, katara in the fire nation, falling in love sort of stuff, with undertones of political intrigue.

Azula had an idea, and her ideas were always interesting. Even at thirteen, she was vicious and wickedly intelligent, traits her father was quite proud of. Late one night, as she paced before his throne, she explained it to him. Low orange light from the fire before the seat flickered over her face and cast frightening shadows over the floor and pillars behind her.

“See, father, as Zuko is banished, I am your only suitable heir,” she explained, and though the Fire Lord disliked the idea that he would ever be replaced, he nodded. “Even if he were to return, he is still an incompetent fool at best. He cannot be allowed to become Fire Lord nor lay any claim to the throne. But he can still be useful, much more so than he is as a roving banished prince. I think we should bring him and Uncle Iroh home.”

Ozai nodded once more, but he was growing impatient. “Azula, I know you haven’t insisted on the importance of this discussion simply to tell me you want Zuko to be here,” he scoffed. “Tell me what about this would benefit anyone besides yourself.”

The princess pouted before continuing. “If Zuko is home, you can find him a wife, father,” she explained, and then got a wicked gleam in her eye. “And we can secure an alliance with the water nation. It would be a waste of resources to make a full attack on the Northern tribe, and the Southern tribe has been bleed of resources and has no benders left. They would likely be more than willing to put a stop to the attacks and go back to their daily lives; their men would be able to return home from the war.”

She paused to consider her next statement before she spoke - with a Fire Lord, it was always best to be careful. “If Zuko were to marry one of their princesses, I’m sure they would be amicable to a treaty. We’ll have to deal with some water tribe girl living here for a few years, until they’re actually of marrying age, but by then, the Water tribes will be complacent and trusting of us; we could deliver resources they need, help them out when they need it, things like that. After the wedding, the girl - and perhaps Zuko, as well - will be killed by Earth Kingdom agents.”

Azula placed “Earth Kingdom” in air quotes, hands performing the motion defly. “After that, they’ll be under fire from the Water tribes for killing one of their people, and we will have more sympathy from our colonies; we can make it appear that their government does not actually have their best interests at heart, if they would send assassins after a young newlywed couple.”

Ozai grinned, his teeth glinting sharply in the firelight. “Not a bad idea at all, Azula,” he said, pride in his voice. “I believe I could make that work with little trouble. It may be difficult to find a suitable girl - after all, it is a specific age range; she can’t be more than a year or so younger than Zuko nor much older than he is, and she would need to be of at least similar importance to the Water tribes . . . we can settle that after we have the agreement.” Father and daughter wore matching expressions of sly interest, grinning like they’d already won.

Maybe they had.


	2. Chapter 2

Katara never considered herself a princess; being the daughter of the chief meant very little when your tribe was down to a handful of members. Evidently, other people did. The day her grandmother pulled her aside to tell her that her father was coming home, to show her the letter he had sent, she remembered crying with happiness. At thirteen, she needed her parents, needed her father. Tears froze on her face in the snow and she wiped them away with a mitten as she read the letter, face twisting into confusion at its contents.

“Gran-Gran, why in the world would dad agree to an alliance with the Fire Nation,” she asked, voice quickly turning accusatory. “They took mom away!”

The older woman sighed softly and shook her head - she didn’t know. “I don’t know, Katara. You’ll have to discuss it with him when he gets back. At least this will mean that we have our men back, we don’t have to worry about raids or attacks anymore.”

Katara nodded mutely and returned to what she had been doing, and tried to put it from her mind and replace the heavy feelings of anger and fear with excitement that she would see her dad again.

* * *

It was only a few weeks until the fleet returned, boats pulling up to the shore smoothly, and before the first man stepped off deck, the entire tribe was there to greet them, shouting and running up to share hugs and kisses, to grab items that needed to be unpacked and offer a warm meal. Hakoda was easy to find for Sokka and Katara, though, and both rushed toward him for a hug nearly as soon as he was on solid ground. Gran-Gran followed, more sedately, to pull her son into a warm embrace.

Soon, the boats were unpacked and everything and everyone was where they should be. Hakoda, Katara, and Sokka sat around a fire and they talked about what all had happened while he was away, and listened to his stories about the ocean and his time at sea. They ate together was a family for the first time in a long time, but Katara couldn’t forget what her father had agreed to.

After dinner, they sat outside, father and daughter, to talk.

“Dad, I don’t understand how you could ally us with the Fire Nation,” Katara began; she had had time to prepare her statements and process her emotions, but still felt herself growing angry. “They took mom from us! I can’t imagine what they’ll do next. They’re probably just trying to get us to trust them so that they can take us over with no resistance.”

Hakoda sighed, appearing resigned to the fate of having this conversation with the girl. “I know, honey, I do,” he said, reaching to hold her hand carefully. “But we can’t fight them any more, and the Northern tribe agreed that this is what we need to do. They’ll send us supplies and we can go back to our lives.”

Katara looked away in defiance. “What do they get out of this, anyway? We don’t even have any real waterbenders left,” she snapped.

Her father hesitated and averted his gaze before he whispered his answer. “Well . . . I know this is a lot,” he started, then stopped and had to swallow before he was able to continue. “They want you to marry the Fire Lord’s son.”

“What?!” she demanded, standing abruptly and dropping Hakoda’s hand. “And you’re going to make that happen? You didn’t even ask me! You’re going to make me leave my home, and my family, to go live in a nation of strangers and murderers, and you’re going to make me marry the son of the man who has been terrorizing us for years? I’m thirteen! How could you do this to me?!”

Her outburst had drawn a small crowd of curious men and women and a few children, and she glared at the assembled group before stalking off back into their igloo. 

* * *

It was only a few days later that a Fire Nation ship arrived, the first one to come in years that was not the beginning of an attack. They carried provisions and materials for use by the tribe, books and papers not found in the South Pole. Katara hadn’t spoken to her father since the night she was told she would be leaving, and while she knew Sokka agreed that she shouldn’t go, their father’s approval was too important to him to speak out about it.

The ship was commanded by the navy, which was frightening, but she stood beside Hakoda while the Commander in charge of the vessel explained. 

“We don’t have a lot of leisure ships,” he said, voice gruff but friendly. He was shivering in the cold and trying to hide it. “The ones we have are not suitable for longer trips like this, and because we will need to make multiple stops on our return trip, the Fire Lord sent his best men to escort the Princess.” It was absurd to hear herself called a “princess,” but Katara tried not to let her distaste for the man, or for this situation, show on her face.

She remained steadfastly silent toward her father as a pair of uniformed soldiers gathered up her belongings and stowed them in the ship, but she sobbed quietly as she hugged her grandmother and brother, and eventually her father, as well. Teary promises to keep in touch were made, and then she boarded the ship, flanked by guards and doing her best to not let them see how afraid she was.

A young man led her to her room, where her items had been placed already, and Katara nodded in thanks before he left and she was able to lock the door and collapse onto the bed, exhausted and distressed. The room was well-furnished and honestly quite beautiful, when she looked around; banners with the Fire Nation insignia covered the metal walls and the bed was quite comfortable. There was a desk and chair with paper and ink on a small shelf, and a chest with drawers for her clothes beside it. A soft rug covered part of the floor. 

Katara drew in her breath and removed the parka she had been wearing; while they were still in freezing waters, the ship seemed to be heated somehow. She had no idea how she was going to acclimate to being warm most of the time - from what she knew, the Fire Nation was hot for most of the year. Leaving her thinner under layer of a tunic and loose pants on, the young girl decided to move her clothes to the dresser that was available, already full of questions about the ship.

It wasn’t long before most of her questions were answered. A guard came to her door, knocking politely and waiting until she opened it to greet her. “Princess Katara, I hope you’re satisfied with your accommodations? If not, you can let us know and we will do everything we can to help,” he began.

“Yes, they’re nicer than I expected,” Katara admitted. He seemed friendly enough and was wearing a uniform of red and gold rather than armor, with no helmet. “Thank you for asking. Can I help you?”

“Of course. Commander Jian would like you to join him in his quarters for dinner,” the guard explained. “You don’t have to, but I believe he would like to help you and put your mind at ease. If you would like to, I will escort you there now.”

Katara considered this for a moment. It would be impolite to refuse the invitation, and she was unsure of how she would get food otherwise - presumably, it would be brought to her, but she couldn’t be sure. “I accept his invitation,” she said, and the soldier stepped back to allow her to leave the room before leading her through the halls. It was not that long of a walk to get to the commander’s rooms, but on the way, she learned the guard’s name as well as where she could go to clean up if needed, and that she could eat with the soldiers or have meals brought to her. 

They arrived in due time, and the guard who had escorted her knocked on the door once before opening it to allow her entry. The door remained open, presumably for her comfort, and he stood just outside. The commander sat in his room at a low table, legs crossed. His quarters were similar in appearance to hers, though he clearly lived there the majority of the time, as he had a few personal items as well as a remarkably lifelike drawing of a woman with a younger girl that Katara could only assume to be his wife and daughter. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Princess,” Jian said warmly, looking up at her even as he gestured for her to be seated. “Can I get you some tea?”

Katara smiled slightly, unable to resist the man’s kind demeanor. “I would appreciate that,” she said, sitting at the table as hot water was poured into a small cup for her. “Your ship is very impressive.” At least, she thought it was impressive - after all, the only other ships she had seen were the smaller boats used by the Water Tribe’s fleet and the huge warships that the Fire Nation sent.

“Thank you! I pride myself on having not just a beautiful ship, but a great crew, as well. After all, a vessel’s only as good as the men and women that run her, in my opinion,” the commander boasted good-naturedly. “I’m glad you’re comfortable joining me for a meal. After all, one only has so many chances to meet someone so important, especially when that someone is a delightful young lady such as yourself.”

She took a sip of her tea and found it to be too hot to drink, and moved on to inspect the food laid out on the table. It was a rather lavish spread that she suspected was purely for her benefit, as there was no way this man ate like this every night. “You’re too kind,” Katara said, smiling once more at the complement. “It’s very intimidating to suddenly be on a ship to the Fire Nation, as I’m sure you understand.”

They chatted about her accommodations and the length of the trip for a while, until both had eaten their fill, and then the commander bid her a good night and Katara returned to her room, very tired from such an emotionally exhausting day and ready to hit the proverbial sack. She slept poorly that night, but slowly adjusted to life on the ship over the course of their trip. All too soon, they had arrived at the Fire Nation.

  
  



	3. chapter 3

Standing at the front of his ship, Zuko relished the feeling of the wind on his face for the first time in a year. His father wanted him home, had forgiven him.

Uncle Iroh seemed suspicious, but Zuko was in a good mood, laughing at the jokes the crew made and even willing to sit down for tea with the older man with no complaints. He was going home, and no longer had to bear the curse of finding the Avatar that had disappeared over a hundred years ago. The letter his father sent, by way of messenger hawk, was long and detailed, and explained that he should never have banished his son and that the importance of family was too large to be ignored. No longer would he let his firstborn rot away at sea when he could bring him to their home. 

This was on his mind as they grew ever closer to the Fire Nation. According to his father’s letter, Zuko could restore his honor and prove his allegiance to their family and their nation by marrying as his father wished - evidently, he was also being used to secure a treaty of some sort with the Water Tribes, but this was a small price to pay for his father’s love. 

Even as he pondered how his life was going to change, the welcome he would receive, he could see the city on the horizon, and almost as soon as he noticed it, he heard a joyful shout from one of his crew. They were finally home, after a long while. Iroh joined him on the deck to watch the land on the skyline draw ever nearer, both quiet until Zuko broke the silence.

“It will be good to be home, Uncle,” the prince said softly, hardly audible over the sounds of the ship. 

Iroh nodded and placed a gentle hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Just remember how life is as a prince - things will have changed since you were younger.”

Zuko sighed, wishing that his uncle could be more excited about their return home, but decided not to voice his disappointment. “We should change into clothes more suitable for members of the royal family,” he decided, already turning to walk to his rooms to do so.

* * *

As their ship docked, and a ramp was lowered to the ground, Zuko spotted his sister. Azula was the only family member present for his welcoming party as he left the boat; three palanquins were present for their return. Of course she would never deign to walk somewhere she could be carried. As well as his sister, Zuko was greeted with the sight of multiple servants, there to collect his and Uncle Iroh’s things, and an honor guard of at least twenty men.

“Brother! Uncle!” Azula declared, spreading her arms wide as if to hug both of them - an impossible task, as they had not yet walked down the ramp exiting the ship. Her arms fell back to her sides, hands on her hips, shortly. “It is so good to see you both! I’ve missed you so much over the years you were away. Please, come down, I cannot wait for you to see our father once more!”

Zuko felt that she was speaking a little strangely, and put it down to her stage presence, the feeling that she was always acting for people when she was in public. As the royal family, the prince and princess, they really were, and he remembered when he was younger and felt the eyes of the nation upon him. She had settled into her role much more smoothly than he ever did. “Azula, it’s nice to see you, as well,” he stated, smiling as they walked on the docks to the litters. “I’m excited to be home.”

* * *

The palace was, unsurprisingly, the same. The biggest change was that Azula had at some point moved into his rooms, and the ones that were formerly hers had been furnished for him. Zuko felt slighted at that, but didn’t bother to complain about it to anyone. Her rooms were slightly smaller, but included a large bathtub in a separate room that he was quite excited to try. He remembered that his childhood bedroom had been so large that it sometimes freaked him out and prevented him from sleeping soundly as a boy.

The bed was large and covered in thick and soft blankets that were mostly for decoration - it rarely got so cold that he would need more than a thin sheet. A rug covered most of the floor, with the Fire Nation’s insignia, and banners of the same make were placed at intervals on the walls. It was lit with several lamps that burned fairly brightly, one on the nightstand, one on the desk provided, and several hanging from the ceiling. As well as a bed and a desk, he had a wardrobe that, upon opening, was full of newly made clothes in the style for the city, and a chest of drawers that contained undergarments and sleeping clothes. A massive bookshelf dominated the other wall, full of books both read and new to him. 

It really was quite nice. With little regard for the sheets - after all, that’s what servants were for, and he had those again - he threw himself onto the bed and kicked off his shoes. Seeing his father was both welcome and exhausting, and he was somewhat glad it was over. Even when he was younger, he had always been wary of his father’s anger, and that fear turned out to be well-deserved. 

Soon, though, he was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Katara’s arrival at the Fire Nation capital city was much more of an elaborate affair than Zuko’s had been. She got the distinct feeling that they were supposed to arrive within a day or two of each other, but unfortunately her ship had been delayed due to needing to stop for repairs during their trip. 

That did not prevent her from being subjected to a very intense welcome.

The commander of the ship, an hour or so before they were intended to arrive, advised her to go to her chambers and change into her best outfit. One had not been provided for her due to the royal tailors not having her measurements, he explained. So the young princess found herself in what she felt was sure to pale in comparison to whatever the royal family was wearing. Her dress, while of a simple cut that fell at her knees and was tied at her waist, was also of a fine fabric. The fur lining was removable, and she chose to keep it off as it would likely be hot, but the cuffs, and hem of the dress were of a beautiful white fur. The belt was intricately woven of leather strips. Katara felt she looked quite nice, at least.

Her anxiety built up as they neared the city and refused to ease, even with reassuring words from the crew. Katara was not ready to meet the family that had, however indirectly, killed her mother, could not face the reality that she was going to live among them for the rest of her life. Tears threatened her but she bit her lip and fought them back, because she could see the docks now, and there was a huge entourage of people there to greet her.

Right beside where their boat would put down anchor, three people in opulent attire stood proudly, two shorter than the third, clearly the Fire Lord, the prince she was to marry, and a young woman that she assumed was a princess. Space around them was clear but for guards in armor that was too heavy for the heat, in her opinion, and then there were nobles and common people alike, gathered to witness the arrival of the Water Tribe princess.

The ship docked and soldiers lined up on either side of the gangplank, forming two rows all the way to where the royal family stood. 

Commander Jian stepped beside her in a formal uniform and offered her his arm; she had no choice but to accept it and walk between the rows of armed men, toward the royal family. Dread settled like iron in her stomach, weighing her down, but she couldn’t stop walking. The princess - Azula? - wore a smile fit for a wolf, or maybe a snake, but the Fire Lord himself lacked any expression at all. The prince’s brow was furrowed in what could have been anger or concern. As she had been instructed, she bowed to the Fire Lord, who inclined his head to her, as did both of his children. Katara wondered where the Fire Lady was, or if there was one at all, and then she was being spoken to.

Ozai’s voice boomed, the voice of a man who often spoke to command others. “Princess Katara, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Fire Nation’s capital. We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival for several days now. Please, join us to the palace, where we can show you your accommodations. I’m sure you’re very tired from your long trip.” Something seemed insincere, but she couldn’t figure out why. Three palanquins, and their bearers, stood behind the family - it appeared that she was intended to ride with the prince, as one of them was clearly intended to seat two people. 

After a brief greeting to Azula, Katara was assisted into the palanquin and was shortly joined by the boy that was, evidently, her betrothed.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said, seeming far more sincere than his father had. “I’m Prince Zuko.”

Katara nodded. “I’m Katara. I’ve never actually used a title, though,” she admitted. They were already moving - there was no way anyone other than the prince heard her, though the gauzy curtains were open so that she could take in the sights of the city on the way to the palace. Awkward silence filled the air, even with the sounds of people on the street chattering and the general noise of the city.

She was too young to get married, she thought, but she had to push that down for now. Later, when she was alone, she could let herself cry. On the ship, it had not been real, but now she had to face the fact that eventually, she would marry into this family, that this would be her home for the rest of her life. Katara fought to keep her expression neutral and waved to the people gathered to watch the small procession, several of whom waved back.

The people here were just people, living their lives. It was strange to think that everywhere, people had lives that were as complex and interesting as hers, as everyone’s. That line of thought was somehow comforting.

“The capital is very beautiful,” she told Zuko, who was also looking out over the crowd. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many people.” 

He seemed surprised at first, but must have had some knowledge about the Southern Water Tribe, for he nodded. “It can be a lot to process. I recently returned from living on a ship with a fairly small crew . . . There wasn’t this much fanfare about my arrival, though.” 

Katara tipped her head in acknowledgement. “I must admit, I’m very nervous,” she told him, much more quietly. She had to have someone she would trust here, and he seemed like a good option, especially as it appeared that they would be spending a lot of time together. “This is a lot to handle, like you said. Everything is really different from my home.”

“I understand,” Zuko said, matching her volume. “We will have a lot to tell each other, I think, but you can trust me. My father and sister can be very dangerous, but we’re on the same side.”

It seemed strange that there were “sides” in this situation, to Katara, but nobility and politics were very odd. At least she had a friend. “I have a brother that I think is your age,” she told him, an abrupt subject change. “His name is Sokka.”

“That’s interesting,” Zuko answered, and they passed the rest of the ride up to the palace talking quietly to each other. Soon, they reached the gates, and were helped down so that they could walk in themselves. The Fire Lord’s return was announced by some kind of horn or trumpet blowing on the wall, and soon they were accosted by servants, and being led off in separate directions, each to their own living quarters so that they could rest some and change for dinner.

Katara found herself in what appeared to be the quest wing of the palace, in a fairly nice and fairly large set of rooms. From the hall, the door opened into a parlor or sitting room of sorts, with a curtain separating that her new bedroom. A small bathroom was attached to that. The entire affair was almost blindingly decorated in reds and oranges, the Fire Nation insignia on several banners hanging from the walls. 

The woman that had led her there informed her that dinner would be served in a few hours, and that someone would come to get her at that time, and also that her bags would be brought up shortly but there were also clothes in the closet that should be suitable if she didn’t want to wait.

Once she was alone, Katara explored the rooms. The parlor was not large, mainly a small fireplace, a loveseat, and two armchairs surrounding a coffee table, so she moved to the bedroom, finding it to be somewhat larger, with a huge bed, a desk, a vanity, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. Another door led to the bathing room, which had a toilet and a sink, of course, but also a large tub, and apparently some kind of plumbing.

She rummaged through the closet for a while, shedding her current attire, and found a suitable outfit for dinner - a nice but somewhat plain dress - before climbing into the bed and quickly falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we love having writers block n taking forever to update


	5. Chapter 5

The day dawned bright and hot, like every other day Katara had spent in the Fire Nation. It had been perhaps two weeks since her arrival, and not much had happened in that time. She had not spoken with the Fire Lord since her arrival, and she spent much of her time with tutors, as well as with Azula and her friends, Mai and Ty Lee. The Fire Nation princess had learned quickly that Katara wasn’t going to let herself be bullied into submission; as they were technically of equal rank, there could be no punishment for her if she didn’t give in to Azula’s demands.

They developed an uneasy friendship, closer to a rivalry, but they weren’t quite enemies, and for that, Katara was glad.

She also spent a good amount of time with Zuko, as was expected of her. They took walks in the palace garden and, accompanied by chaperones, went out into the city to shop or see the sights. Katara found herself enjoying his company more than she thought she would. He was much more serious than Sokka and he often seemed shy or embarrassed. 

Katara quickly picked up on the fact that he was worried his scar - large and covering half of his face - was repulsive to her, and one day, over tea in the city, she found herself reassuring him that it was just a scar, and a part of who he was, and that was fine. That was the first time they walked hand in hand back to the palace.

But today, Katara was alone in the garden, sitting on the edge of a fountain. Her dress was at her knees and she had removed her shoes to sit with her feet in the water. Absentmindedly, she kicked the water with her feet. There was a tug in her abdomen.

The contents of the fountain went across the small clearing and splashed into the grass.

The girl fell backwards off of the lip of the basin and scurried backwards as she covered her mouth with a hand. How had she done that? Had she somehow . . . waterbent? She knew the ability ran in her bloodline, but no one had suspected that she might be a waterbender.

That was when she noticed that she wasn’t alone in the garden, and she was paralyzed with fear. Being a waterbender would only bring her pain in this place. Zuko walked toward the puddle in the grass and then looked at her, concern crossing his face. “Did you do that?” he asked, voice full of awe, when she was expecting anger. “Do you think you can put it back before anyone notices?”

Katara slowly unfroze herself, forcing herself to trust Zuko, the only person in the palace, in the country, that she believed had her best interests at heart. “It was an accident . . . I swear, I didn’t even know I could bend,” she managed to say, voice halting and nervous. 

“It’s okay, Katara, I’m not going to tell anyone. Come here, let’s see if you can do it again,” Zuko reassured her. The younger girl walked over, tentatively, until she was facing the puddle that she’d created, the prince beside her. “Now, you should be able to . . . feel the water. Reach out with your senses,” he encouraged, and that didn’t make much sense to Katara, but she tried anyway, closing her eyes and concentrating. He was right - in front of her, she could feel the presence of the water. She could feel the tide, too, much weaker, and suddenly she knew that it was high tide.

She opened her eyes and let Zuko guide her body into a bending-appropriate stance. “Here, put your feet a little farther apart. I’m sorry, I don’t know any waterbending moves, but hopefully this will work.”

Katara felt very grounded, and once more she reached out for the water, but this time the tug in her abdomen was expected, and she managed to pick up the water, gathering it into a ball in front of them. It was too difficult to maintain, however, and it fell back on the ground. The sensation was too strange and it required a lot of focus to keep ahold of it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, as she realized that she’d splashed Zuko. The water evaporated quickly, however. And the fountain was already refilling, so it wasn’t like anyone was going to notice anything besides a puddle that could be explained as having spilled some drinking water.

Zuko grinned at her, the smile he seemed to reserve for when she said something funny or endearing, and said, “It’s okay, promise. Let’s get out of here before someone sees us.” He grabbed her by the hand and she was surprised that she didn’t mind at all, before she was being led through the garden and to the palace. She wasn’t quite sure where she was being taken, but she did trust Zuko.

They ended up at the palace’s library, a massive room full of books on shelves higher than either of them could reach. “We can probably find some waterbending scrolls here,” Zuko whispered in her ear. “And if anyone asks, you’re interested in your culture.”

That said, they split up, looking for any trace of information on waterbending. Zuko found them first, and called her name softly from a few shelves over. 

The pair spend at least a few hours in the library, poring over books on waterbending technique and the history of southern waterbending, as much of it as they could find. So many books and scrolls had been stolen from the water tribes over the years. 

By the time they left, Katara was feeling much more confident, and Zuko had made a promise to help her learn waterbending properly in secret. The friends parted with a hug and made their way to their separate bedchambers, both excited for the days to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha woops


	6. chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i do not remember how old i said Katara and Zuko are! i think i said Katara was 13, but let's assume she's actually 14 and Zuko is 16 because I just googled their ages tbh

Two weeks later, Zuko woke to the sun rising through his window. He didn’t think he’d ever slept past sunrise, as the rays of the sun gave him (and most other firebenders) more energy during the day. However, he had discovered that Katara tended to stay up into the night and rise late in the morning, a habit that annoyed the cooks to no end - though they would never express aggravation when their future princess walked into the kitchen at eleven in the morning, asking for breakfast.

Zuko occasionally would wake her up earlier, but she didn’t like that much, so this morning he sat down in his parlor and nibbled on the warm bread and preserves that had been left on the table for him by the servants. This would keep him going until lunch, usually around noon.

Breakfast eaten, the prince dressed himself and decided that it would be a good day for a walk in the gardens, before it got too hot.

He walked through the halls, empty for the moment, though they would be bustling with nobles and servants before long. Many people were currently dressing and taking the walk - or ride, for families wealthy enough to have palanquins - to the palace, looking to curry favor with the Fire Lord or simply go about the business of governing a country. Luckily, the gardens were empty most of the time. Gardeners were often about, but it was not considered secure enough to have meetings there, so it was usually left to the younger members of the royal family and their friends.

Gingerly, so as not to wrinkle his robes, Zuko knelt by the small pond in the garden, lost in his thoughts. Katara so reminded him of his mother, sometimes. Gentle and a little out of place in this world of politics and danger. 

There was a ripple in the water, and he looked up to realize that she was there - Katara. She was dressed simply in a sleeveless, light blue dress, with a high collar. It fell to her calves and had small slits up to her knees on either side. Her shoes, he noticed, had been left on the walkway.

Though he had not noticed her, she had noticed him immediately, he could tell. She was watching him even as he watched her, and for a moment they simply regarded each other in comfortable silence. He was loath to speak first, so he didn’t, and simply gestured to the spot beside him to indicate she was welcome to join him.

Katara looked around, clearly checking to make sure no one was around, then dropped into an almost perfect waterbending stance and moved back and forth with her arms in front of her, pushing and pulling. Before long, a small wave formed in the water, mimicking her movements. 

Zuko clapped appreciatively. She was showing mastery of that move already, and they’d only been practicing for a couple weeks - she must have been doing more on her own. At that rate, though, they were going to run out of waterbending moves for her to learn quite soon. “That looks great, Katara,” he said, as she slipped her shoes back on and walked over to sit beside him, legs bent to the side and leaning on him companionably. “You’ve got the makings of a master already. If only you had a proper teacher!”

“You’re a great teacher, just not a waterbender,” Katara answered, taking his hand and twining their fingers together. They’d been more comfortable touching each other since they’d been training together, holding hands more often and leaning against each other. Once, after a particularly tiring practice session, Katara had even fallen asleep against his shoulder.

He nodded absently, filled with such a desire to protect her. “We should go visit Uncle Iroh today,” Zuko said. “His home is a bit of a ride, but I think he would love to meet you.”

Katara smiled up at him and nodded. “We could have lunch with him,” she added. “I’m looking forward to it. Would you like to have tea with me? I haven’t eaten yet.”

* * *

Uncle Iroh was, of course, thrilled to see them, and predictably loved Katara. She smiled and accepted his offer of tea graciously, finding it much better than Zuko’s, something she commented on, much to his amusement.

She noticed that Zuko seemed happier here, in the welcoming air of Iroh’s small home on the edge of the capital city. He didn’t look as anxious, even seeming relaxed, something she only got to see rarely. Lunch was a simple affair, Iroh cooking for the three of them. He didn’t seem to have any servants at all, but his home was spotless and beautiful.

Katara got on with him wonderfully, like most kind people did. After lunch, the trio sat together on the patio under the shade of a large umbrella to digest and talk some more.

“So, Miss Katara,” Iroh began, then looked around. “You’re a waterbender, then?”

She reacted poorly, she knew it, but she couldn’t stop herself from turning a glare on Zuko, who held his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t say anything, I swear.”

“How do you know that,” she hissed, sounding more like a statement than a question. “No one is supposed to know!”

Iroh smiled serenely and held his own hands up to placate the young woman. “I can see by the way you move and interact with the world,” he explained. “I spent a long time learning about the different bending styles. I don’t think it would be obvious to anyone else here, however.”

Appeased, Katara settled back down, relaxing into her chair once more. “Zuko has been showing me the basics of bending, and we have done some research in the palace library. He’s a good teacher,” she said, glancing at him in time to see him blush from the complement.

The rest of the afternoon passed favorably and they were invited to come back at the same time next week for lunch. On the way home, Katara and Zuko leaned against each other in the palanquin, ignoring the sweltering heat in favor of friendly physical touch. She considered the afternoon and how nice he’d looked with a blush on his face, and before she could change her mind, leaned up to kiss him on his cheek, feeling his rough scar tissue under his lips for the barest second before she retreated.

“I liked Uncle Iroh a lot,” she said, changing the topic before they could even begin to talk about it. “He’s very nice. I see why you look up to him so much.”

Zuko looked a little confused, but accepted that she didn’t want to talk about the peck on the cheek she’d given him, so he answered, “He has been more like a father to me than my own father at times.” It sounded like a confession, almost. “He is very suspicious of us being called back from exile, and I must admit, I am, too . . . my father hasn’t spoken to me since the first night I arrived.”

Katara frowned at that. “Anyone could see that your uncle has your best interests at heart,” she said, unwilling to try and probe what appeared to be a very complex family situation.

“I know that he does,” Zuko whispered, but that seemed to be all he wanted to say, so Katara let it go, and when they returned to the palace, he gave her a kiss on the cheek before departing for his quarters, saying he wanted some time to think.


End file.
